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Why I Love...Rome

Polly Walker as Atia of the Julii
  • Posted at 3:51pm
  • 13 August 2007
  • by LauraPledger-RT

Dramas about ancient Rome are often guilty of playing up the bloodthirstier aspects of life back then, and the joint BBC/HBO production Rome is certainly no exception. But then I suppose if we viewers wanted to know about Roman technological advances and cultural nuances, we'd be tuning in to Adam Hart-Davis instead.

This historical drama has more corpses per episode than your average crime series. And the ever gorier methods of dispatch make it an ideal substitute for any CSI fan experiencing withdrawal symptoms from their favourite show.

Rome purports to teach viewers about the fascinating historical and political aspects of the period, but who cares when the soapier aspects are more fun? In the first series, heated discussions in the senate and political backstabbing (literally, in Caesar's case) were all very well. But fans were too busy wondering when Vorenus would find out about wife Niobe's affair with her sister's husband to pay much attention.

The audience revelled, too, in the increasingly outrageous antics of conniving coquette Atia of the Julii, a sort of classical Scarlett O'Hara. More venomous than an asp snuggling up to Cleopatra, in almost every scene Atia was to be found laying the groundwork for some intrigue or other. In any scheming-free scenes, she was usually laying the latest piece of Roman eye-candy to take her fancy.

The obscene graffiti about Atia, scrawled on various walls throughout the series, also posed an irresistible challenge to anyone who studied Latin at school. It was certainly more fun than translating "Caecilius est in via" ever was.

The frequent nude scenes in Rome weren't confined to nubile young actresses alone - there was plenty of male nudity, too. At one point, a rather buff Mark Antony holds forth while in the buff. The producers pleaded that this was meant to demonstrate how Romans often conducted important business while at the baths. Somehow I don't think that's the key fact most viewers would take away from that particular scene, though. And as for the well-hung slave that Atia sent to enemy Servilia in a gesture of apology - just how exactly did they audition actors for that, ahem, "part"?

Let's not forget the double act of Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, who represent the series' take on "the common man". In a modern-day show, these two disparate characters would most likely be a chalk-and-cheese detective partnership. As it was, in this historical drama, they are a chalk-and-cheese soldiering partnership. Though quite how Vorenus found his way into uniform is something of a mystery - perhaps there was some sort of typo on the recruitment poster that led him to believe there was a place in the Roman army for taciturn, strongly principled men?

And if the action on screen isn't quite enough to hold your attention, you could have fun spotting the goofs. Terry Wogan and his TOGs claimed to have seen wind farms merrily turning in the distance in one shot from the first series…

Long before the second run of Rome was due to air in the UK, various newspapers were spluttering about how much more sex and violence had been crowbarred into the plot. It seems the producers are reluctant to mess with a winning formula. And as the show's fans settle in for more thrilling episodes of alternately flailing and mangled limbs, you can bet they'll be grateful that Rome wasn't built in a day.

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